NSU vs. CCOM?

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Rman911

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I’m currently trying to decide between NSU and CCOM. Has anyone had to make a similar choice? If so, could you please give me some advice? I liked both schools a lot when I interviewed. I have grown up in the Chicago suburbs so it would be closer to home, but the facilities and campus was not as nice as Nova’s (maybe because I visited in the middle of winter). On the other hand, I’ve heard that Nova students graduate with a ton of debt (#4 highest of MD&DO programs – US News and World Report). Also, I'm not very familiar with Nova's core hospital sites. What can you tell me about them?
Thanks for your help!!!
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Rman911 said:
I’m currently trying to decide between NSU and CCOM. Has anyone had to make a similar choice? If so, could you please give me some advice? I liked both schools a lot when I interviewed. I have grown up in the Chicago suburbs so it would be closer to home, but the facilities and campus was not as nice as Nova’s (maybe because I visited in the middle of winter). On the other hand, I’ve heard that Nova students graduate with a ton of debt (#4 highest of MD&DO programs – US News and World Report). Also, I'm not very familiar with Nova's core hospital sites. What can you tell me about them?
Thanks for your help!!!
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CCOM
 
i'm in the same position, trying to decide between nsu and ccom...
 
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based on hospital affiliations/rotation sites, i'd go with CCOM, no questions asked, even though i'm likely headed for NOVA.
 
go to CCOM...stay close to home...chances are you may want to land a residency around the area too...and CCOM will give you the best chance there...if you are looking to get away from parents and be totally independent..go to NSU..cant really go wrong at either schools..good luck..and congrats
 
Close to home may not seem important now, but when you are about to go nuts it is nice to have people around to keep you sane. CCOM has better rotations, but worse weather so pick your evil, you can always move to FL later. There are ups and downs at both I am sure, but right now I wish I was anywhere but SOFLO. Plus our admin really is not receptive to students, I don't know about CCOM.

Q
NSU-COM 2009
 
If you want to do residency in Chicago, then go to CCOM. It's not like you won't be able to if you go to NSU, but probably have a better chance by going to CCOM. What do you look for in a school? The environment at both schools struck me as very different. Either one is a great choice of school.

I'm from Illinois myself, and I plan on going back to the midwest. This is anecdotal evidence, but most people I know from the midwest or north plan on returning. This is a great place to go to school and be young/single, but I'd never want to live or practice here. Thats why I'd rather go to school here then go back to the midwest after instead of vice versa. Not to mention the people here (not talking about the school, just the city in general) are rude a-holes.
 
Faraaz23 said:
I'm from Illinois myself, and I plan on going back to the midwest. This is anecdotal evidence, but most people I know from the midwest or north plan on returning. This is a great place to go to school and be young/single, but I'd never want to live or practice here. Thats why I'd rather go to school here then go back to the midwest after instead of vice versa. Not to mention the people here (not talking about the school, just the city in general) are rude a-holes.
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Agreed. (Ohioan here!)
 
nsu. who wants to be in snow when you can have 70 degree weather right now in feb.

i'd rather not freeze my bum off.
 
Fin-Nor said:
nsu. who wants to be in snow when you can have 70 degree weather right now in feb.

i'd rather not freeze my bum off.
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location factored in precisely zero percent, in terms of weather etc, in my choice to CCOM.


than again, i only applied to OUCOM and CCOM.


I agree with the stay near home comments. I should have gone to OUCOM since Im from Ohio.
 
Wow I'm amazed at how many people currently at NSU are suggesting CCOM! That says a lot to me.

Anyway I'd pick CCOM b/c of the hospital affiliations and closer to home for you. UNLESS you absolutely loved NSU when you were there. Both schools are going to be expensive!
 
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Orthodoc40 said:
Wow I'm amazed at how many people currently at NSU are suggesting CCOM! That says a lot to me.

Anyway I'd pick CCOM b/c of the hospital affiliations and closer to home for you. UNLESS you absolutely loved NSU when you were there. Both schools are going to be expensive!
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because the OP is from chicago..
 
Orthodoc40 said:
Wow I'm amazed at how many people currently at NSU are suggesting CCOM! That says a lot to me.

Anyway I'd pick CCOM b/c of the hospital affiliations and closer to home for you. UNLESS you absolutely loved NSU when you were there. Both schools are going to be expensive!
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Almost everyone who is saying this...is saying to go to CCOM based on the fact that it is close to home.

You are going to get a great education wherever you go, but location is a HUGE factor. It was my #1 or #2 factor when I chose a school, and I think it is VERY important where you want to live. Chicago vs Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area are very different environments, and I would suspect two very different personality types would be happy at the two schools.

Go to the school that fits you best. Period. Nobody else can make the decision for you.
 
Seriously, COM is so crappy. The campus is definitely not in Chicago, it's in some little crappy suburb 50 miles west of Chicago! So don't fool yourself expecting to be in the middle of an urban paradise, cause you won't be. Just go to NSU where the weather is warm and the campus is always beautiful.

:) thank you
 
:laugh: GYNOLICIOUS!! :thumbup: (sorry to poke fun, if it is a cherished family name) :smuggrin:
 
gynolicious said:
Seriously, COM is so crappy. The campus is definitely not in Chicago, it's in some little crappy suburb 50 miles west of Chicago! So don't fool yourself expecting to be in the middle of an urban paradise, cause you won't be. Just go to NSU where the weather is warm and the campus is always beautiful.

:) thank you
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You are wrong on every account you just made.

1) CCOM is 20 miles from downtown not 50, not 40, and not even 30.
2) the overwhelming majority of people only stay in Downers Grove for the first two years
3) That same overwhelming majority moves downtown for years three and four.
 
does anyone know if CCOM has scribe service/mp3 lecture recordings/powerpoints/notes for students to review lectures?

ill be there in the falll:luck:
 
gynolicious said:
Seriously, COM is so crappy. The campus is definitely not in Chicago, it's in some little crappy suburb 50 miles west of Chicago! So don't fool yourself expecting to be in the middle of an urban paradise, cause you won't be. Just go to NSU where the weather is warm and the campus is always beautiful.

:) thank you
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And believe me, this guy knows how beautiful the campus is becuase he is required to be there every day!!:laugh:
 
kaikai128 said:
Almost everyone who is saying this...is saying to go to CCOM based on the fact that it is close to home.

You are going to get a great education wherever you go, but location is a HUGE factor. It was my #1 or #2 factor when I chose a school, and I think it is VERY important where you want to live. Chicago vs Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area are very different environments, and I would suspect two very different personality types would be happy at the two schools.

Go to the school that fits you best. Period. Nobody else can make the decision for you.
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She's right about that... I got VERY different vibes at both CCOM and NSU. Thats actually part of the reason I chose NSU. Go with your gut.
 
Current member of class of 2007....no need to say anything further. I did many away rotations at other core sites affiliated with other osteopathic medical schools. Go to CCOM. I could keep going on but I doubt you want to hear it.
 
novado said:
Current member of class of 2007....no need to say anything further. I did many away rotations at other core sites affiliated with other osteopathic medical schools. Go to CCOM. I could keep going on but I doubt you want to hear it.
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all I got to say is chicago chicago chicago...might be a bit biased as I am from there...but I believe NSU is quite far away from chicago...go to ccom...lol:thumbup:
 
strong arguement pansit...makes me wish i went to ccom :)
 
One of my residents (finishing up family practice, starting dermatology residency next year!) is a CCOM grad. Based on what she's seen she feels the clinical experience (3rd and 4th years) at NSUCOM is superior to what she had at CCOM. Just thought I'd throw that out there....
 
Pegasus52082 said:
One of my residents (finishing up family practice, starting dermatology residency next year!) is a CCOM grad. Based on what she's seen she feels the clinical experience (3rd and 4th years) at NSUCOM is superior to what she had at CCOM. Just thought I'd throw that out there....
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Hmmmmmm....I have to really wonder about this. I don't really think you can compare NSU's emphasis on rual rotations with Chicago's hospitals. But since I have no experience with either this is just speculation on my part.
 
FizbanZymogen said:
Hmmmmmm....I have to really wonder about this. I don't really think you can compare NSU's emphasis on rual rotations with Chicago's hospitals. But since I have no experience with either this is just speculation on my part.
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if its just speculation why say anything?
 
Jack Swift said:
if its just speculation why say anything?
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:D Seriously though I have heard that CCOM's rotations are pretty fantastic but on the other hand you have to give NSU-COM credit when you look at their match list. I'm not trying to start anything here.
 
What do you mean by "looking at our match list." You have to remember that anyone who does match well at Nova does so on our own accord. We get almost no assistance from our school. In fact, they give us very negative advice about our possibility in attaining a competitive residency. You have to remember that the South is very DO unfriendly. We are pretty much forced to find a good MD spot on our own or else live up in Michigan or Ohio where most of the DO residencies are. If I recall, I remember CCOM's match list being much better.
 
Go to NSUCOM. I went there, graduated, was the first DO resident at my program, was the first DO chief resident, and am now a DO attending at Georgetown, teaching MD residents.

Couldn'ta done it without NSUCOM!

Q
 
Novado...maybe you have been around longer than I have, but I am going to have to politely disagree with your statment. I absolutly have NOT gotten this impression that we can't go into specialties AT ALL in my last two years here at NSU.

I feel like I have had great advice from many of my mentors here about how to get into good residencies, who the right ppl are to network with, etc. I don't feel as if I am at a disadvantage at all. In fact, I feel as if there is so much information thrown at us about residencies that I'm almost tired of hearing it. Every club has seminars about how to get into the competitive residencies that they represent, the school and SGA puts on several seminars a year (all open to all 4 years), and all of the clinical professors who are in specialties have been extremely available and gracious about answering questions that I have had. I have an entire list of specialties and faculty members in those specialties that I email with questions as they come up.

One thing to point out about NSUs match list though--for anyone who does have it...is that FL is one of the magic 5 states that requires you to have an internship year in order to be able to practice as a DO here (or get approval from the AOA). Therefore, a larger number of students go into internship years before applying to their competitive specialties.

I guess this just goes to show that each person's individual experience at an school is different. I love my school, feel as if I'm getting a great education, and would never go anywhere else if I had to make the same decision all over again. I felt as if I belonged here when I interviewed, and still feel the same. Cheers.
 
FizbanZymogen said:
Hmmmmmm....I have to really wonder about this. I don't really think you can compare NSU's emphasis on rual rotations with Chicago's hospitals. But since I have no experience with either this is just speculation on my part.
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Rurals are three months of your 4th year, and rural really means "underserved." There are a lot of underserved ppl in greater Miami. I don't really think there is that much of an emphasis on rurals, but that may just be me. Your entire third year is based out of a hospital (one of many). I chose NSU becasue of how strong our 3rd year is here.
 
Buckeye(OH) said:
You are wrong on every account you just made.

1) CCOM is 20 miles from downtown not 50, not 40, and not even 30.
2) the overwhelming majority of people only stay in Downers Grove for the first two years
3) That same overwhelming majority moves downtown for years three and four.
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Alright Buckeye, touche' my friend. Maybe 20 miles is more correct from a distance perspective, but if you think the proximity to Chicago is an advantage your sorely mistaken. Even though CCOM is 20 miles from downtown, getting there is a totally different issue. The traffic is horendous getting into and leaving Chicago, it will take you at least 1.5 hours each way to get downtown at any hour that you wish to go there. All CCOM's neighborhood has to offer is the traffic of Chicago, not the benefits of Chicago...and the soul-less rows of suburban houses don't help either.

Living in Chicago you must realize that the average precipitation is closer to that of Seattle, not to even mention the climate 4 months out of the year is extremely frigid. The summers are humid and winters are horrible. Not the case at all in Fort Lauderdale.

This decision seems soo obvious to me. While the schools have relatively comparable things to offer, the environments and living options easily sway me towards NSU.

Cold, nasty, boring Downers Grove Illinois, and skunky Chicago..... or Warm Sunny, beautiful, fun Fort Lauderdale. Seems like an easy decision to me.
 
kaikai128 said:
Rurals are three months of your 4th year, and rural really means "underserved." There are a lot of underserved ppl in greater Miami. I don't really think there is that much of an emphasis on rurals, but that may just be me. Your entire third year is based out of a hospital (one of many). I chose NSU becasue of how strong our 3rd year is here.
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every time I read one of your posts I swing back towards NSU. I think I would love to be a NSU student. Im coming down this Saturday for a few days to make some definite decisions.
 
Kuba said:
every time I read one of your posts I swing back towards NSU. I think I would love to be a NSU student. Im coming down this Saturday for a few days to make some definite decisions.
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Every time I read one of his/her posts, I wish I had at least APPLIED to NSU!
Sounds like a great school! But anyway....now back to our regularly scheduled story... :oops:
 
Kuba said:
every time I read one of your posts I swing back towards NSU. I think I would love to be a NSU student. Im coming down this Saturday for a few days to make some definite decisions.
Click to expand...

:love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love:
 
gynolicious said:
Alright Buckeye, touche' my friend. Maybe 20 miles is more correct from a distance perspective, but if you think the proximity to Chicago is an advantage your sorely mistaken. Even though CCOM is 20 miles from downtown, getting there is a totally different issue. The traffic is horendous getting into and leaving Chicago, it will take you at least 1.5 hours each way to get downtown at any hour that you wish to go there. All CCOM's neighborhood has to offer is the traffic of Chicago, not the benefits of Chicago...and the soul-less rows of suburban houses don't help either.

Living in Chicago you must realize that the average precipitation is closer to that of Seattle, not to even mention the climate 4 months out of the year is extremely frigid. The summers are humid and winters are horrible. Not the case at all in Fort Lauderdale.

This decision seems soo obvious to me. While the schools have relatively comparable things to offer, the environments and living options easily sway me towards NSU.

Cold, nasty, boring Downers Grove Illinois, and skunky Chicago..... or Warm Sunny, beautiful, fun Fort Lauderdale. Seems like an easy decision to me.
Click to expand...

speaking from experience and living about 30 miles from chicago...i can tell you that i've driven to the city (and by city i mean literally the corner of Michigan and Ontario) in 1/2 hr at best and 1 1/2 hrs at most and it is rare for me to take that long to get there. But on average i get down there in 45 min..it is not 1.5 hours at any hour,....it heavily matters on the time of day, what day it is, whether u like the express lanes and have an I-pass...
 
I'm in a similar position, deciding between NSU and NYCOM. The decision is killing me.
 
Schools are probably the same though we could argue that point to the death. Each is going to have it's good and it's bad. You will not like things about each school, whild you will love things about them as well. Am I happy at NSU, as happy as I would be anywhere, med school sucks, and your gonna hate yourself for going down this road at times, no matter where you go. But at least when I hate myself or my situation I can go lay by the pool, go to the beach or the park in January.

Weather today at NSU, 72 and Sunny, the same way it's been for 6 months.

At CCOM its 29.

'Nough said.... may this thread die!!!
 
CCOM...no question about it. Better school and better rotations and residency placement.
 
NSU...no question about it. Better school and better rotations and residency placement.
 
Ossari said:
NSU...no question about it. Better school and better rotations and residency placement.
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I'm tellin ya, these CCOM people, why do they even try to make these arguments here? It's like David and Goliath, The U.S. and Iraq, Mighty Mouse and Minnie Mouse........etc...etc....etc....

There's simply no competition from any way you look at it. NSU is the way to go.

:thumbup:
 
gynolicious said:
I'm tellin ya, these CCOM people, why do they even try to make these arguments here? It's like David and Goliath, The U.S. and Iraq, Mighty Mouse and Minnie Mouse........etc...etc....etc....

There's simply no competition from any way you look at it. NSU is the way to go.

:thumbup:
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Wow.
 
Faraaz23 said:
I'm from Illinois myself, and I plan on going back to the midwest. This is anecdotal evidence, but most people I know from the midwest or north plan on returning. This is a great place to go to school and be young/single, but I'd never want to live or practice here. Thats why I'd rather go to school here then go back to the midwest after instead of vice versa. Not to mention the people here (not talking about the school, just the city in general) are rude a-holes.
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I agree with this statement a lot. I am from Iowa and live in Nebraska right now and while I am going to NSU this fall, I still want to live in the midwest and raise my kids here when that day comes. As for now my wife and I are really excited to live in a new place and try something different. CCOM seems like a great school though with good rotations and a good reputation, while NSU offers a unique experience outside of the classroom for a midwesterner and a newer facility for your classroom years. Gotta find out what is most important to you, I can say however that had I gotten into DMU (close to family, old school) and NSU I would have had to go with DMU, but thats how life goes.
 
I went to NSU
Loved it.
Not too many complaints.

Did my 3rd year cores at Broward General, a huge county hospital.
Everything you can ask for and more for 3rd year.

Great Internal Medicine. As a 3rd year, you do/see more than you can imagine. Very structured, morning report every morning with an attending present. Awesome attendings, great Cardiology,Renal, Pulm, GI, Surg docs. Most enjoy teaching and letting you rotate with them if you choose as a 4th year when you have elective time.
I really learned how to be a doc here.

Great Inpatient Peds floor with an awesome PICU. Tons of Peds if thats what you want. Great attendings.

Great surgery experience with a guy who is from New York. He is the typical NY type surgeon. The great thing is that not only does he do basic Gen Surg, he also is a trauma surgeon/critical care doc so you do trauma service and ICU.
You also can rotate with the Cardiovascular guys if you want and do CABG, FemPops, and more.

Great OBGYN service. You can do it all. CSection, as many deliveries as you want, Colposcopies, GYN surgery, whatever you want.

ER there is great. Huge brand new ER/Trauma space. Very nice.

And now Im doing my internship at Palmetto General, another spot that 3rd years can do their cores. More of the same. Not as structured as Broward General, not as big, but a great hospital and well on its way to really being quality education. I love it.

Other great choices are The Memorial System, great hospital. Mt Sinai track. great hospital. West Palm Track (dont know a whole lot about this)

4th year is nice. One month vacation. One month to study for Step 2 (basically another month of vacation). 3 rural months (2 are already selected for you and the other is your choice--You can really do whatever you want on this selective. Some folks in my class went to Hawaii. Some went to Asia/Africa. You just have to prove that you will be working with an underserved area which is pretty easy to do) 1 ER month. 4 elective months. Then you have May off, graduate end of May. Then you have June off. So you pretty much have 4 months off your 4th year. That's pretty nice.

I moved to NSU from the Carolinas, definitely with lots of questions, but will leave here knowing that it was a great decision.

Matched at my #1.

Just as an aside, other interns in my class this year who all went to NSU matched in the following:
INT Medicine: Cleveland Clinic, Univ Florida, USC, Univ South Alabama
Anesth: Univ Miami, Rush Chicago
Neuro: Univ of Miami
OBGYN: Tulane, Vanderbilt
Psych: Univ Miami
ER: Mt Sinai
Ortho: Broward General Medical Center

Im happy to answer any questions any of you may have.
 
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